Gubna, an Imperial/Double IPA by Oskar Blues Brewery.
12 ounce can, served in a snifter, $5.33 per pint.
Gubna Imperial IPA is like the brash yet intelligent older brother of Oskar Blues Brewery's Gordon IPA.
The pour is a lightly hazy orange with almost no head. Instead, there is a thin halo of white where ale meets glass. There is virtually no lacing and no carbonation.
The nose is of broth and beefiness, orange peel, pine resin, and nettles. I even sense a wee bit of huckleberry.
The initial flavors are caramel, a somewhat subtle orange peel, beef broth, pine resin, and stinging nettle. After a few moments in the mouth, a sweet biscuit flavor emerges.
Gubna is mild in the mouth, even though it fully engages all: tongue, gums, palate, throat. There is a sticky and heavy quality that isn't really present if you focus on it for too long.
Another interesting trick is the alcohol content. If "Alc. 10.0% by Vol." wasn't printed on the can, I wouldn't believe it from the smell and taste alone. The 10% doesn't kick in until later in the glass. Gubna entices you in and then gives you a good punch.
As it warms, the bitterness of both orange and resin increases.
This is an excellent ale. It is complex. It messes with you a bit. It's flavors are best about fifteen minutes out of the refrigerator.
Grab a can or three if you see them around. They are worth every penny spent.
